Tip Shakedown

[old jersey girl]

That idea has been around since the invent of fuel tanks. I'm not going to dispute but logic defies that idea. The pickup is maybe an inch above the bottom and is fixed, it is not floating like the fuel level sensor. Being that as fact wouldn't the contaminants still be drawn in? I suppose the argument is that with more fuel in the tank, the contaminants are somewhat diluted by the sloshing of the gas in a moving vehicle. The main reason for not running a near empty tank is for the reduction of air volume which lessens the likelihood of condensation, thus water. As mentioned today's gas with ethanol has an attraction for water which then aids in the phase separation. To be honest most of our gas is crap. The public has been sold a bill of crap about ethanol, but that is another topic, LOL.

I haven't had a reason yet to pull a fuel tank, where exactly is the fuel pump located? The worst thing for a fuel pump is NOT changing the external fuel filter once a year. Backpressure from a dirt restricted filter is what really hurts the fuel pump, do your fuel pump a favor and your wallet and change the filter at least once a year.

1) crud in tank bottom can be stirred up when tank is filled; why I try to buy gas at local station 1 block from my house when I go home. Car is parked immediately after tank filled; crud settles.

2) Location of fuel filter varies. Mine (2004 Toyota Avalon, 6 cyl) is in the tank; replacement due at 100,000 miles. Easier with older cars that had an in-line filter.

You're correct re crap gas, process of water condensation, ethanol.

 

[old jersey girl]

I had an oldsmobile firenza station wagon in the 80's. I really liked it, smooth and comfortable. Stopped starting easily after 9 years. Two service stations gave up on it. I took a chance and took the tank off in crappy winter weather with no heat in the garage. I don't recall if it was the pump in the tank or the filter in the tank. But when I replaced it, the vehicle worked, but not too long. I was very lax in changing oil, and that's what did it in. You live, you learn.

"crappy winter weather with no heat in the garage"........ It's always like that---- how the motor gods test us!

 

[Boyd]

My 1971 Pinto station wagon broke down in Reno, Nevada while my girlfriend and I were moving from California to Pennsylvania. We were loaded down with all our possessions plus two cats with four kittens and had planned to drive straight through. Turned out to be a bad fuel pump, and nobody in town had one. So the mechanic got us an electric pump. For a few bucks he let me use the garage to install it myself (since we were broke). Was pretty simple, screwed it down, wired it up and connected the hoses. Just left the old pump in place and connected the new one inline.

We were back on the road in 4 or 5 hours. Kept that car with the electric pump for another year or two - it sounded like a machine gun when you first turned the key! Back in the 50's, my Dad had a Jaguar that he did a lot of work on and I remember it had an original electric pump.

 

[Boyd]

It's always like that---- how the motor gods test us!

Haha, the gods have been good to you. I always had to work outside... in places like Pennsylvania, Maryland, Maine and New York where they have real winters!

 

[46er]

"crappy winter weather with no heat in the garage"........ It's always like that---- how the motor gods test us!

I used an old electric blanket to lay on. Might not have been the smartest thing to do, but it was warm. Now I use one of these, puts out a useful amount of heat. Still trying to get the new exhaust into the MGB I bought a car lift, but its too cold to install it

 

[manumuskin]

I can remember riding route 70 to Lakehurst every day in the early 70's when it was still concrete.

Ga-dunk, ga-dunk, ga-dunk, ga-dunk. It could put you to sleep. I knew a boss from Lakehurst, he was returning home to Philly and fell asleep right before the circle and plowed into it.

47 and 49 are still concrete under the asphalt and if you pay attention you can still barely feel the sealant strip underneath

 

[1Jerseydevil]

That depends on the car. Older cars have a mechanical pump mounted on the block but some older ones have electric mounted external pumps between the tank and intake. My early 70's British cars are like that.

You can probably find a diagram for yours with a search.

My fault for not being specific, I meant where in the fuel tank is the pump located, at the top, middle or near the bottom? These pumps rarely but do crap out, and a reason for pulling the fuel tank and if you don't do yourself is $$$. The reason I'm asking is to address the pump cooling comment.

 

[MuckSavage]

The pump is suspended from the top, but the fuel intake is down at the bottom of the tank

 

[1Jerseydevil]

The pump is suspended from the top, but the fuel intake is down at the bottom of the tank

Thanks, that debunks the cooling issue shortly after a full tank unless the pump is extended down into the tank. I'm NOT picking on anybody here, just debunking internet gossip that just isn't totally correct, some mechanics are even drawn in. I used to be a motorhead in my earlier years.

 

[46er]

Thanks, that debunks the cooling issue shortly after a full tank unless the pump is extended down into the tank. I'm NOT picking on anybody here, just debunking internet gossip that just isn't totally correct, some mechanics are even drawn in. I used to be a motorhead in my earlier years.

Not totally debunked. From the 'all knowing' Wikipedia;

Fuel pump - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[aleahey]

I used an old electric blanket to lay on. Might not have been the smartest thing to do, but it was warm. Now I use one of these, puts out a useful amount of heat. Still trying to get the new exhaust into the MGB I bought a car lift, but its too cold to install it

A fellow MG’r! I have an MG Midget (1975, 1500) I’m working on. Love those heaters, my wife and I kept our ~1885 farm house in Medford warm all through law school with it. Propane was cheaper than running the electric baseboards.

 

[MuckSavage]

@1Jerseydevil Here is a pic of the spare (in tank) fuel pump from my ‘07 Jeep Commander. Top of the photo is the mount/o-ring, bottom is the pump, bottom left is the float that tells the fuel level guage where to read (reading empty in the pictured position). Missing in the photo is the “sock” (fuel filter). It would be at the lowest most point of the photo, on the bottom of the tank.

 

[old jersey girl]

Haha, the gods have been good to you. I always had to work outside... in places like Pennsylvania, Maryland, Maine and New York where they have real winters!

Might have had something to do with the cars you had---- a PINTO??!!

 

[old jersey girl]

I used an old electric blanket to lay on. Might not have been the smartest thing to do, but it was warm. Now I use one of these, puts out a useful amount of heat. Still trying to get the new exhaust into the MGB I bought a car lift, but its too cold to install it

You still got a 'B? Just how far from my area are you?

 

[old jersey girl]

Thanks, that debunks the cooling issue shortly after a full tank unless the pump is extended down into the tank. I'm NOT picking on anybody here, just debunking internet gossip that just isn't totally correct, some mechanics are even drawn in. I used to be a motorhead in my earlier years.

"Used to be" ? What happened? Just because I got old and creaky doesn't mean I stopped timing the apex.

 

[old jersey girl]

A fellow MG’r! I have an MG Midget (1975, 1500) I’m working on. Love those heaters, my wife and I kept our ~1885 farm house in Medford warm all through law school with it. Propane was cheaper than running the electric baseboards.

Almost anything is cheaper than electric baseboard heat. I do residential energy audits.

 

[old jersey girl]

Haha, the gods have been good to you. I always had to work outside... in places like Pennsylvania, Maryland, Maine and New York where they have real winters!

You can tell when it was a REALLY bad winter in Maine; everyone has a stunned look the first sunny spring day. I was in Belfast in January a few years ago, there was an inches thick layer of ice everywhere.

 

[aleahey]

Almost anything is cheaper than electric baseboard heat. I do residential energy audits.

Yeah we used it as infrequently as possible. Plan is eventually to get some ductless mini-splits in there. Low ceilings and an old house means no room for duct work.

 

[46er]

You can tell when it was a REALLY bad winter in Maine; everyone has a stunned look the first sunny spring day. I was in Belfast in January a few years ago, there was an inches thick layer of ice everywhere.

You don't have to go quite that far, the river behind the cabin we used to have at.

 

[46er]

You still got a 'B? Just how far from my area are you?

Yep, got it in '98, drove it for a couple years and parked it.

Cleaned it off and started bringing it back to life this past spring.